From the bride... A few weeks after our engagement we attended a fundraising event for Abilis in Greenwich, CT. Every attendee was given their lunch in a mini picnic basket which I found to be adorable. Everyone was told they could take the baskets home with them, but when the hoards of people left, many left their baskets behind. I hurriedly found the event planners and asked if we could take the remaining baskets to reuse as our centerpieces at our wedding... twenty some odd baskets later our wedding plans were officially underway! As a typical bride might do I scanned the pages of wedding magazines and of COURSE Style Me Pretty for inspirations. We always knew we would have our wedding in Madison, CT, one of our favorite places. My family on both my mothers and fathers side, have been either living in or visiting Madison since 1922. My grandmother, great aunt, aunt, and one sister were all married in The First Congregational Church of Madison, so it only seemed natural. Down the street is The Madison Beach Club where we originally intended to hold our reception, but Tropical Storm Irene had other plans for us and we ended up with a tent wedding at The Guilford Yacht Club.

Personalized details included:

1. A guest book made out of quilt squares that my aunt is now sewing for us.2. Pennant flags cut out of extra yellow fabric from my parent's attic and glued onto twine found in the basement.3. Picnic baskets with table numbers cut out of the same pattern my mom's bridesmaids wore and glued on by my best friends.4. Our sweet ride from the church to the reception in a 1973 Chevy pickup named "Big Blue" borrowed from our neighbors in Madison.5. A photo booth with an African sunset back drop painted by my best friend, African stuffed animals borrowed from a local thrift shop, and instant camera given to us by Kevin's parents. We went to Tanzania for our honeymoon and were too excited to wait for photo opportunities!6. Windows found in a dumpster behind our apartment which served as our seating chart and menu's for the night, using chalk markers to write and draw with!7. Table runners cut by hand by my mom and myself straight from a bolt of fabric until we had blisters on our hands!8. Our entrees were fish and chips or steak and onion rings, both with a corn/tomato salad recipe of my mom's, while dessert was blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream, a recipe from my family that we make every summer in Madison.9. My dad and I danced our first dance to Sweet Caroline while wearing red sox attire as both Kevin and my family are big Red Sox fans.10. My bridesmaids (my 3 sisters and best friend) sang Amazing Grace while Kevin and I lit the unity candle during our ceremony.11. Pillows for EVERY guest made from scratch (meaning a bolt of fabric, paint, stamps, needle and thread, and stuffing) with the help of Kevin, my family and a very dear and unbelievably selfless friend while watching Christmas movies in our apartment. For the past seven years I have worked with an orphanage in Ayacucho, Peru called La Casa Hogar Los Gorriones. I have been inspired by their work and humbled by their thankfulness. We made the pillows as a "give away" item at our wedding to let our guests know that we have donated to the orphanage in honor of their presence at our wedding. The moto of Los Gorriones is "Sin Amor Soy Nada", without love I am nothing, which is what we stamped on each pillow. I hope soon to visit the orphanage for the third time myself, but for the first time with Kevin.